'Old Fashioned' events bring a touch of Hollywood to Valley

Monday

Jan 20, 2014 at 12:13 AM

A testament to how well the movie “Old Fashioned” — filmed in Tuscarawas County — connected with its audience could be seen by the number of viewers dabbing at a tear or by hearing sniffles. Writer, director and lead actor Rik Swartzwelder, a native of New Philadelphia, also found himself choked with emotion more than once.

Lee Morrison TimesReporter.com staff writer @lmorrisonTR

A testament to how well the movie "Old Fashioned" — filmed in Tuscarawas County — connected with its audience could be seen by the number of viewers dabbing at a tear or by hearing sniffles.

Writer, director and lead actor Rik Swartzwelder, a native of New Philadelphia, also found himself choked with emotion more than once.

A sold-out crowd of 1,100 people viewed a casual-dress benefit screening of the movie Sunday in the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University at Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia. Several returned after being among about 156 people to attend a sneak peek black tie gala there Saturday.

The romantic drama tells the story of "a former fraternity boy and a free-spirited woman who attempt the impossible: an 'old-fashioned' courtship in contemporary America." Swartzwelder portrays Clay Walsh. Elizabeth Ann Roberts portrays Amber Hewson, who rents the apartment above his antique store.

The store in Bolivar, the county courthouse and the lighted "Welcome to Our City" sign in New Philadelphia are seen frequently on screen. Most of the location shooting occurred throughout the county, and there are many familiar faces and references, such as New Philadelphia's school colors of red and black.

However, because the movie hasn't yet been released, media attending were asked not to review the film itself.

After Saturday's event, Swartzwelder said, "What a wonderful event. It's a night that I think everyone who was here will remember. It was just a blessing. I'm glad that the film connected with the audience, that they saw the heart of Tuscarawas County in it, that we tried to put in it. That was very affirming for me to get that connect with the audience. I'm very happy."

He said many viewers commented "that the film feels like Tuscarawas County. It didn't feel foreign. It felt familiar. That doesn't mean that this story is everyone's story. The excitement and enthusiasm in peoples' faces when they see — it may be something they've driven by a hundred times and don't even notice any more and we put it on the big screen and it looks beautiful and they realize, 'Oh my goodness, that's right on my way to work.' And to see that glimmer, that's what touched me the most."

Christina Bragg and her brother, Hans Ahlstam, both of New Philadelphia, viewed Sunday's showing. Several crew members stayed at his house during filming.

"They invited us to be here tonight, but we would've come anyway," Bragg said. "I really liked the whole theme, the nice values."

Swartzwelder said that the original movie was three hours and 20 minutes. What audiences saw was the finished film, although the color and sound will be refined.

He said many friends and family members ended up on the cutting room floor. "I'm expecting hate mail," he said with a laugh.

To offset the disappointment, he prepared an outtake reel shown Saturday and Sunday, which he expects to include in the eventual DVD version.

Two companion books will be released with the film. Even one companion book is rare for an independent film, he said. Swartzwelder didn't write them, but he was consulted and both are based on his screenplay.

He said talks continue regarding national distribution for theaters – targeting later this year – but he couldn't say more now. He said there will be another local premier at that time.

"It takes time to market a film," he said. "The future for this film looks very bright."

Producer Nathan Nazario said that "for a small, independent film with limited resources, the one advantage we have is time – and to take that time for us to make the best possible film."

"There's no other place on the planet to unveil the film than here in Tuscarawas County in the Performing Arts Center," Nazario said. "We've been overwhelmed by the community's support throughout the process. The star of this film is Tuscarawas County."

Campus Dean Gregg Andrews said Saturday, "This is a special movie, very near and dear to all of us."

The movie is based in a small, Midwestern college town. One of the interior college scenes is in the campus bookstore as Amber buys supplies. The exterior scenes are from Kenyon College in Gambier.

Andrews said that the gala helped "raise much-needed funds" for the Performing Arts Center Endowment Campaign. The gala launched the campaign, which has a goal of $1 million. This fall will be the center's fifth season, he said, adding there is a seven-year cycle to upgrade technology and maintain the center's infrastructure.

He said that the center helps improve the quality of life in the area.

"The community benefits from exposure to the arts that it might not otherwise experience," he said.

When he announced that Sunday's sneak peak was sold out for the 1,100-seat center, the audience applauded. The $10 per ticket revenue will be used to create an arts scholarship at the campus.

Also Saturday, state Rep. Al Landis, R-Dover, of the 98th District presented a proclamation from the Ohio House of Representatives recognizing Swartzwelder and the film.

Landis said he didn't prepare a speech, "I wanted to do this like Rik – from the heart."

Landis said that for a night out, he and his wife, Debby, "enjoy dinner and a movie, and so tonight would be hard to beat."

He added that "Hollywood has come to Tuscarawas County. Tuscarawas County has gone to Hollywood, and Rik Swartzwelder has come home."

Landis read the proclamation, then presented it to Swartzwelder, who became choked with emotion.

"We had no money to make this movie," he said. "We found some way to make it happen."

He told how his mother, Jayne Maxwell-Swartzwelder, encouraged him as a child, quoting author Shel Silverstein, "Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

That encouragement has continued throughout life, and Swartzwelder dedicated the proclamation to his mother.

In thanking people for their support, he said, "This film would not exist without the love of this community. I hope you're as blessed in watching it, as we were in making it...I hope you love the movie."

Certainly, those involved loved the community, remarking on it repeatedly.

Actor Tyler Hollinger (Brad, known as radio "shock jock" Lucky Chucky), said, "It was great reception tonight. One of the best things about the film is the outpouring of support from the community. I've done a lot of films, all over American and internationally, and I've never seen a community come out in support for a project the way that Tuscarawas County has. Not only is the community and the foliage very good looking, but the people of the town are good looking as well."

Rik's mother, Jayne, said that Saturday was her first glimpse of the film. Although she was on set every day and was allowed to view the daily shooting afterward, "one of the producers told me, don't do it. You'll ruin it. Let it be a surprise."

She said that Saturday was "very emotional – I could hardly hold myself together. My emotions were running high for Rik. He took a big chance and a big part of his life to do it. What made me proud is how he's given back to the community. He's giving to the Performing Arts Center and to the campus. I was impressed because if anybody needs it, he does – he's a struggling artist. But he did it, that's what he wanted to do. He put everything into it that he could, everything he had went into that. I could feel the emotion."

An artist herself, she said, "He sure made our county look good, didn't he? I loved it, I loved the look!"

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